The Culmination
by DC21
Summary: Ryan is waiting on a scholarship and Seth is trying to convince San Diego bound Summer to give long distance love a shot. It's graduation time for the fantastic four in the season 3 finale


The Culmination

By Duncan Clair

Day 1 - The Day of Freedom

Chapter 1

He saw her standing there in front of him. The sunlight flickering through her hair as the wind carried it like a waving flag over her left shoulder. Her smile was coy, yet beckoning, and Ryan couldn't do anything but walk to her. The desire to hold her in his arms swept over him like high tide on a California beach. Ryan smiled, tilting his head down shyly, before he began to move to her. He took a step and felt something poking at him, softly at first but seemingly getting firmer and firmer as it continued. It was steady like a pendulum. Where was it coming from? Ryan had to stop it. The poking was keeping him from reaching her. A voice sounded from all sides. "Ryan, Ryan, Ryan," it said. Ryan looked all around but couldn't find where the voice was coming from. He looked back for her but she was gone. "Marissa," he said confused. Ryan felt himself being poked more as he frantically searched the beach for Marissa.

Ryan's eyes opened slowly to reveal Seth standing over his bed, ready to poke him again.

Ryan squinted, now realizing the sickening lucidity of his dream. "Hey man," said Seth. "I've been in here for like 5 minutes trying to wake you up." Ryan began to sit up but decided it wasn't worth the effort yet. "Why?" he asked as he turned onto his back, pulling the sheets over himself. Seth smiled, "Because do you know what today is?" he asked raising his eyebrows in anticipation of explaining the significance of the day to Ryan. Ryan laid there with a look asking for Seth to give him a reason to care. "It's Thursday," he said finally. "Not just any Thursday Ryan," Seth fired back. "This Thursday is the oh so awesome day between our last exams and graduation." Ryan reprised his apathetic stare. "So," he said, "What's so great about that?" Seth in the chair at the foot of Ryan's bed. "It means, that after all that studying and all those tests, we can do whatever we want today." Seth began to nod as he went through his itinerary. "I was thinking maybe go to the pier, take the girls down there, maybe go to the bait shop, maybe get some comics, sound good?" Ryan stared blankly at Seth. _What a sheltered child,_ he thought. "I wanna sleep." he said, trying to recapture the dream of Marissa that was already fading from his memory. "Come on man," prodded Seth. "I don't wanna do all that by myself."

"I didn't say I'm not doing it, I said I wanna sleep," said Ryan burying his face in the pillows.

Seth sat in the chair exasperated at Ryan's unwillingness to get a jump on their day of freedom. After nearly five minutes Ryan turned his head to see Seth sitting in the chair, drinking coffee.

"Any chance of you letting me sleep?" asked Ryan.

Seth gazed upward as if to consider Ryan's question before shaking his head. "Sorry buddy, can't do it." Ryan remained on his back savouring what he knew were his last seconds in bed before throwing the sheets off of himself. "I'm gonna need a lot of coffee."

The fridge door clicked shut as Sandy turned to the counter and a freshly toasted sesame seed bagel. He peeled the lid off the tub of cream cheese. Sandy smiled, there was something so uplifting about opening a fresh container. He heard the doors to the backyard open and looked up to see Seth and Ryan enter.

"Ah, the two men on the verge of graduation," he proclaimed as Seth shut the door.

"Morning boys."

"Morning," Seth and Ryan said together.

"So," said Sandy grinning as he smeared the cream cheese, "All done exams, graduation tomorrow, what's the plan for your first day off?"

"Well father as it happens we have a little smorgasbord of events planned," said Seth excitedly. Sandy raised his eyebrows before glancing at Ryan in time to see his eyes roll at Seth's enthusiasm.

"Well," said Sandy before taking a bite out of his bagel, "It's a new chapter in your lives; you guys deserve a day of fun."

"I couldn't agree more," said Seth.

"Where's Kirsten?" asked Ryan.

"She went into work early this morning," replied Sandy. "She wanted to get a jump on some stuff so she could take tomorrow off for the ceremony. And speaking of work. I gotta get going. I'll see you boys at dinner."

"See ya," said Ryan and Seth in unison.

A stack of papers sat on Marissa's dresser. Marissa tied her hair back as she walked over to the dresser, picked them up and read the letterhead, _University of Southern California_. She scanned the course selection sheet before shutting her blinds to block the sunlight that streamed through her window. Marissa sighed quietly. She couldn't believer she was finally going to college. A knock at the door interrupted her reflection. Marissa opened the door to find Summer standing there with her own bundle of papers.

"Hey Coop," said Summer.

"Hey," replied Marissa smiling. "Planning your courses too?"

"Yeah, and it's totally overwhelming," said Summer already stressing.

"So San Diego State isn't much different than USC. Have you talked to Seth yet?"

Summer frowned, glancing at the floor "No, not yet. I don't know what I want. And I know he's gonna get all crazy if I bring it up again."

"So he's not enjoying talking about it?"

"No he wants to figure it out," explained Summer, her frustration growing. "It's just that I haven't made a decision and every time we talk it's like he's putting me on the spot."

"Well," said Marissa, "It's gotta be hard for him, not knowing if you want to try the distance thing."

"I know, it's not even a huge distance. If he goes to UCLA we'll see each other on weekends, but part of me wants to go away with no commitments."

Marissa nodded, understanding the predicament her friend was in.

"Come on," said Marissa grabbing her purse.

"Where are we going?" asked Summer.

"Planning can wait till after graduation," said Marissa. "Let's go to the beach, get some drinks, and get your mind off of your decision."

Chapter 2

"I dunno why the guy asked for ID, I definitely look old enough to by beer," said Seth defensively as he picked up his skateboard. Ryan glanced at him skeptically. "Maybe his first clue was that you were holding a skateboard when you asked for the case," he said. "Besides how were you gonna get that past your parents?" Seth gave him a stunned look. "Dude, all camp hide and seek champion, has someone forgotten?" They approached the outdoor food court and took in their options. As he panned around deciding what he wanted, he spotted Marissa and Summer at a nearby table. "Hey look who's here," he said, tapping Seth to get his attention. Seth looked where Ryan was. "Oh man, no, no, this is not happening," he complained. "What's the big deal?" asked Ryan. Seth shook his head. "The big deal," he said, "is that every time Summer and I talk it's this big, ugly stressfest about what's gonna happen in the fall, and I don't want my free day to be ruined by that." Before he could continue he saw Marissa pointing them out, and her and Summer began walking over. "Hey guys," she said excitedly before hugging Ryan. "What are you guys doing?" she asked. "Seth has this big day for us planned since we're out of school so we went to get comics, and we were gonna call you guys after lunch so I guess this works out." Seth nodded, awkwardly trying not to look in Summer's direction. Summer rolled her eyes. "Come on Cohen," she said, "let's get some ice cream." She began to pull Seth towards the ice cream cart. Seth looked longingly at Ryan and mouthed the words, "Save me." Ryan shook his head. "Seth's not having fun with their whole decision making process." Marissa nodded. "Neither is Summer," she said before looking down, not wanting to bring up what she knew they had to discuss. "So have you heard from the last two schools?" she asked. Ryan sighed and looked towards the sky before facing marissa again. "Nope," he said, "not yet." Marissa smiled encouragingly. She knew how worried Ryan was about the scholarships. "Don't worry," she said. "You'll get in." Ryan nodded. "Yeah I've been accepted everywhere, I just can't pay and I don't want the Cohens to pay for me so I need the scholarships if I want to go." Marissa nodded; it was a situation Ryan had been in for the last month. She knew how hard it was on him, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Her face brightened. "Well, it's out of your control now, she said as she kissed him on the cheek. "Let's just eat." Ryan nodded. "Yeah alright," he said.

Summer and Seth walked to the end of the pier. The breeze off the ocean blew through Summer's hair, and she brushed it away from her face. Seth took her hand. "Look," said Seth. "I know you haven't made a decision but I really need to know what's gonna happen with us." Summer sighed and looked into his eyes. "I know," she said. She took a breath and gazed out to the ocean where surfers and sailboats played in the wind and waves. "But I don't know what I want. I mean I want to be with you..." "Alright," said Seth interrupting. "That's what I want too," he said. "But," began Summer. "I also like the idea of starting fresh and you know that long distance relationships, almost like never work out and I don't want us to get torn apart like that." This time Seth looked to the surf. "So, why can't we at least try. Isn't it worth it?" Summer looked down at her feet, before shifting her gaze back to Seth. "I just don't know what I want, and I'd really like it if you could let me make that decision on my own. I promise you'll be the first to know once I know what I want." Seth nodded, going over Summer's words in his mind. He wanted so badly for her to tell him that he was what she wanted. He shrugged in frustration. "Alright," he said looking around making as little eye contact with her as possible. "Just let me know when you decide whether I get to be a part of your life or not." Seth began walking away. Summer turned and opened her mouth to speak. She stopped herself and sighed, wishing it could be easier as she watched him walk back up the pier.

Ryan opened the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of orange juice. He checked his watch as he poured the juice into a glass. 3:51. Ryan sighed, wondering when the last two colleges would reply to him. He wondered if he even wanted to know the answer, after the first two letters he had received. He finished the glass of juice and moved to put it in the sink. As he turned back to go to the pool house, he noticed an envelope sticking out from underneath a newspaper. The logo in the top left hand corner read UCLA. Ryan picked up the envelope and stared at it blankly, nervous to open it. Finally Ryan took a deep breath and tore it open. The papers seemed to weigh a thousand pounds as he pulled them from the envelope. The words looked like blurs of ink that couldn't be understood. Ryan blinked and felt his pulse quicken as he read the first line, before a smile crept across his face

Chapter 3

Ryan sat in the poolhouse re-reading the letter from UCLA. _The University of California at Los Angeles is pleased to offer you a full scholarship during your time studying architecture..._ Ryan couldn't stop smiling. The poolhouse doors opened and Seth walked in. "Come on man," he said. "Food's here and my dad's into the dumplings so if you want some we gotta act fast..." he trailed off spotting the paper in Ryan's hand. "What's that?" he asked. "Letter from UCLA," said Ryan trying to hold in his joy. "And?" asked Seth anxiously. Ryan turned to him and smiled. "Dude," shouted Seth, "you're goin to school with me, we're Bruins now." Ryan laughed, "Yeah, yeah we are," he said. "Alright," said Seth we gotta tell the parents. "Sure," said Ryan, grabbing Seth before he could leave. "But, you can't tell Marissa, or Summer because I wanna surprise Marissa tomorrow." Seth nodded. "Alright, we'll keep it stealth, keep it under the radar," he said. "I'm serious," said Ryan. "You can't let this one slip." "Ryan," said Seth. "I promise you, as your brother I will not tell a soul, and by a soul I mean except those in the kitchen." "Alright," said Ryan.

Seth led them into the kitchen from the back yard. "Mom, Dad, I would like to present to you, the newest student of architecture at UCLA." "What?" said Kirsten delighted. "That's great," said Sandy walking over to Ryan. "Congratulations, I told you you were too smart to not get a scholarship." Sandy shook Ryan's hand. "You are going to do so well," said Kirsten hugging him. Sandy interjected. "You know if you wanna reconsider Berkeley we're more than happy to pay." "Dad, come on, enough with the Berkeley pushing," said Seth. Ryan laughed. "Thanks, but I really didn't want to make you guys pay, and now I'll be with some people I know in LA." Sandy nodded, "Well that's great kid, you really deserve it." He smiled and gestured to the food on the counter. "Now grab some food, you're both College guys now, enjoy ordering in while it lasts." Ryan and Seth grabbed plates and served themselves. "So this is a relief," said Seth. "Yeah," said Ryan. "I meant for me Ryan," said Seth, "I was afraid I was going alone, now I've got Kid Chino backing me up." Ryan shook his head as they sat down to eat. He couldn't wait to tell Marissa.

Day 2 - Graduation Day

Chapter 4

Summer sat on her bed, gazing around her bedroom. Her hand played nervously with the handle of her purse that sat beside her. She let out a long sigh as she reached to her bedside table and picked up Princess Sparkle. There was a knock at her door. She glanced down at Princess Sparkle once more. This time she smiled. Summer knew what she wanted.

Summer opened the door. She didn't have to look up to know it was Seth. Seth produced a half-wave.

"Hey Summer," he said solemnly.

"Hey Cohen," she said, returning the greeting.

Seth walked in, taking in the room that was etched in his memory. He glided over the carpet before turning to face Summer. He had to get it over with.

"Um Cohen I've been doing a lot of thinking and..." began Summer.

"Wait a second Summer," interrupted Seth. "I just want to say something. I'm just going to lay it all out there, because this is really important, and, and I just want you to know where I stand...not that you don't already know but I just thought I'd say it again." Seth took a breath before continuing. "I don't want to lose you. And I know that we're going to be in different places, different schools and such, and we'll inevitably meet new people. I just know that I couldn't leave without knowing I still had you. You mean everything to me Summer, and I don't want to lose what we have just because we're a few hours apart on the highway."

Summer smiled, and stepped closer to Seth, running her hand down his sleeve. "Cohen, I just wanted to tell you that I thought a lot about school, and us, and what I wanted, and I realized that what I want most is to be with you, wherever I am."

Seth broke out a smile he never thought he would need when he knocked on Summer's door. He let out a scoff of happy disbelief. "You serious?" he asked, unable to calm the smile.

Summer put her hand on his shoulder. "How could I not be," she said. "We're undeniable."

Seth nodded, still smiling. He leaned in until he felt her soft lips meet his. Seth finally felt relief.

Summer broke the kiss and fixed the collar on Seth's pink shirt. "We have to get ready for grad," she said. Seth nodded. "Yeah," he said, "I think my hair's working for me today; I can't wait to put on that hideous maroon gown." Summer laughed, "Well maybe we can lose that gown tonight." Seth raised his eyebrows. "Summer Roberts, are you trying to seduce me?" he said nodding and smiling. Summer shook her head playfully. "Not yet I'm not Cohen, because I still need to get ready," she said as she began to push him out of her room. "But I will see you at grad, so hopefully you can wait until then." Seth began to protest but was cut off by the door slamming in his face. Seth stood at the door and smiled. "That's my girl."

Chapter 5

The sunlight glistened off the thousands of chairs set up on the Harbor High football field. Students milled about in gowns, posing for pictures with friends and family before the ceremony began. "These are your gowns," said the teacher taking attendance. "Just return them before you leave or you'll have to buy them." Ryan took the gowns and caps from her and passed one of each to Seth. "Thanks," they both said to the teacher. Seth held up the gown in front of him. "I hope they disinfected these. I don't want to get the gown that some waterpolo player used and was naked under." Ryan shot him a look that seemed to say "Do you ever act normal?" "Who thinks of that stuff?" he asked. "People who are oddly obsessive with personal hygiene and don't want the stench of jock-sweat on them during the most significant moment of their adolescence maybe?" Ryan raised his eyebrows, not wanting to respond and stared at Seth. "What?" asked Seth. Ryan shook his head. "Come on," he said. "We gotta find our seats."

Marissa and Summer stood in front of the mirror in the girls bathroom. "So where is your mom anyway?" asked Summer, "Isn't she coming?" Marissa finished with her lipgloss. "Yeah, she'll be here. She's not staying long though. She has to get Caitlin from her horse jumping thing, whatever it's called." Summer nodded. "So did Ryan get any scholarships yet?" she asked. "No," said Marissa with a sigh. "He got a partial one from Arizona State, but he doesn't want to let the Cohen's pay for anything, so he's still waiting on UCLA and Stanford." Summer looked at Marissa in the mirror and smiled. "Don't worry Coop," she said, "it'll work out." Marissa shrugged. "I hope so," she said. "I just want him to be happy." A smile appeared on her face. "I am really happy for you and Seth though. It's awesome you guys are gonna make it work." Summer smiled broadly. "Yeah, I'm happy too, and I've put up with him for too long to let a few miles ruin us." She turned away from the mirror and faced Marissa. "Ready to graduate?" she asked, giggling with excitement at her own question. "Ready," said Marissa laughing.

Marissa opened the door to find her Mother. "Mom," she said surprised. "You're here."

"Of course I am sweetie," said Julie smiling. "Hi Summer," she said. "Hey Mrs. Cooper," said Summer. "I'm gonna go find Cohen," she said before walking away to leave them alone. Marissa looked at her mom, thinking of their battles. The two of them had been closer lately but there was always a slight underlying tension. "How long are you staying?" she asked. Julie frowned. "Oh honey, I'm sorry I can't stay long, you know I have to get Caitlin. But I was thinking as a little graduation present you and me could go somewhere, maybe London, Paris, New York. Anywhere you want, it's your pick." Marissa gave a half smile. "That sounds cool," she said. "I'm going to stay until you get your diploma," said Julie, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm so proud of you and I really want us to have fun before you go away to college." Marissa smiled. "Thanks mom," she said. They embraced, and for the first time in a long time, Marissa felt like her mother's daughter. They let go and Julie smiled, a single tear sparkling in her eye. "Well, I have to go find my seat," she said. "I'll see you in the morning when you get back from your party, and we'll start planning our trip." Marissa smiled and nodded. "Sounds good mom," she said.

Dr. Kim walked to the podium and a hush fell over the crowd on the field. "Good afternoon," she said, "and welcome to the graduation ceremony of The Harbor School, class of 2006." The crowd applauded.

The student introductions began, Ryan lined up at the side of the stage. He stared blankly at the crowd and remembered the first time he had walked into the Cohen house, the first time he had walked into class into this school. It was surreal and satisfying at the same time. "Ryan Atwood," the voice came over the speakers and woke him from his daydream. He strode onto the stage and shook Dr. Kim's hand and accepted his diploma. He gazed into the crowd as he walked to the other side of the stage and spotted Sandy and Kirsten applauding and smiling. He moved his tassel to the right side of his cap and smiled at them and through the noise looked into their eyes. "Thank you," he said. Sandy nodded at him and smiled. Ryan walked off the stage and continued looking at their faces as they returned the gaze, Kirsten snapping photos. Ryan felt something he could barely remember feeling. For the first time in years, someone was proud of him. Ryan smiled.

"Seth Cohen," read Dr. Kim. Seth slid his tassel to the right and met Ryan's eyes and gave him a nod. Ryan returned the nod and they both smiled. As Seth moved to his seat, he looked at his father, smiling at him and his mom clapping before she waved to him. He returned the wave and smiled back.

Marissa walked across the stage and flashed a smile at her mom. For the first time in a long time she was happy with their relationship. Her smile faded slightly as she looked at Ryan and wondered what the future held for them. Her eyes met his and she laughed. No matter what happens, she thought, I'm not letting him go.

Summer stepped off the stage and took her seat directly behind Seth. He turned and took her hand. "Congratulations graduate," he said with smile. Summer pushed his face softly. "You too," she said before moving in to kiss him. As they backed away from their quick moment she ran her hand down his cheek. "Cohen," she said. "Yes," he said. "I love you," she said. "I love you too Summer," said Seth, "The fact that you can say that to me while I'm wearing this hat means a lot." They laughed. "Way to ruin the moment Cohen," she said. "Hey," he said, "It's who you love."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the class of 2006," said Dr. Kim. A cheer went up from the students as they stood and threw up their hats. Ryan put his arms around Marissa and kissed her. "Don't worry," he said, "Everything will be alright." Marissa nodded and hugged him; she wasn't so sure.

Ryan returned his gown after the ceremony and spotted Marissa down the hall. He sprinted up beside her. "So, I'm gonna get Seth and go home and get ready and have dinner," he said. "Can you come by around seven and pick me up?" Marissa nodded. "Sure," she said. "I have to give Summer a ride home anyway." "Hey Ryan," called Seth coming up behind them. "You ready to go?" he asked. "Yeah," said Ryan. He kissed Marissa on the cheek. "See you at seven," he said. Ryan jogged to meet Seth. "So did you tell her about UCLA?" asked Seth? "Nah," said Ryan, "I wanna surprise her before the party." "Dude," said Seth, "It's my experience that, keeping secrets from girlfriends, not the best idea." "Yeah, that's because it doesn't work so well when they find out from someone else," said Ryan. Seth nodded. "Touche Ryan," he said. "You've learned well young grasshopper," he continued, bowing jokingly in Ryan's direction. Ryan gave Seth a push. "Come on," he said, "Let's go home."

Chapter 6

Ryan gazed into the mirror that stood in front of him. He smiled as he brushed a piece of lint from his black dress shirt. College, he thought. UCLA, he thought. A future, he thought. He reached for his watch and slipped it over his hand. There was a knock at the door before it opened slowly. "Hey," Marrissa said as she entered. "Hey," said Ryan, moving to the back of the pool house in search of his shoes.

"You ready to go?" asked Marissa.

"Yeah," said Ryan before he glanced down, moving his lips thoughtfully. "But..."

"But what?" said Marissa confused.

"Um, Marissa, we need to talk," said Ryan.

Marissa's eyes widened slightly in surprise. A wave of confusion and anxiety ran over her.

"Talk about what?" she asked hesitantly.

Ryan stepped forward gazing downward waiting as long as he could to meet her eyes.

"It's just, with next year and you going to USC and...it's going to be so different."

"I know," said Marissa, almost defensively. "But we're going to make it work."

Ryan nodded, going over their previous discussions on the subject in his mind.

"Yeah," he began, carefully mulling over his choice of words. "I think that with the whole situation that it might be best if..."

Marissa's face was frozen in shock as Ryan's sentence trailed off. A million thoughts began going through her head. After all they had been through could he really be ending it?

Ryan took a breath. "If we get our own apartment, because residence at UCLA is really expensive." Ryan exposed a playful smile he had been hiding since she came to the pool house.

Marissa's expression instantly turned from shock and sadness to elation. "Oh my God," she said, wrapping her arms around him. Their eyes met after their embrace and Ryan leaned in and kissed her softly. "So, I'm guessing that's a yes on the apartment?" said Ryan. Marissa nodded, a wide smile unable to escape her face. They kissed again before she gave Ryan a playful shove. "That was mean," she said. "Well," said Ryan, "I thought it would be better with a little suspense." Marissa laughed, shaking her head at Ryan's ruse. "Come on," said Ryan picking up his wallet, "We've got a party to go to."

Chapter 7

A spatter of clouds swept like a sea over the moon, swallowing it in its surf before spitting it out in its undertow as they passed. The sounds of music routinely quelled by the surging sea could be heard along with the inaudible buzz of a thousand different conversations. Ryan shut the car door and walked around the front before taking Marissa's hand in his. They stood there for a moment, hand in hand, taking in the sight before them. "The last Harbor party," said Marissa, smiling but with a twinge of solemness in her voice. "Our last look at the dark side," said Ryan, half smirking as he gently rubbed Marissa's shoulder. "Ready to say goodbye to this?" asked Ryan. Marissa scanned the beach again stopping as her eyes met with Ryan's. "Definitely."

The microwave beeped three times before Sandy opened the door and pulled out the bag of popcorn. "Hurry up," said Kirsten from the couch, it's about to start. "Alright," said Sandy, "The popcorn is ready, you want something to drink?" "I've got my water thanks," called Kirsten. Sandy smiled, remembering how good it was to hear her saying water instead of wine. Sandy opened the bag and felt the steam shoot out over his hands and face. He poured it into a bowl. "Alright it's nice and hot," he said moving to the couch and setting the bowl down on the table. Kirsten looked up at him as the reached for the popcorn. "Thanks," she said, a smile creeping across her face as the chewed thoughtfully. "What?" asked Sandy with a chuckle. "Well," she said, in a scheming tone. "The kids are out at their party, and they'll probably be out for a while if they don't sleep out; and I was thinking, maybe after we watched the movie, we could go in the hot tub for a while, and I could give you a massage..." "Whoa, I think I know where this is going," said Sandy as he sat down. He leaned in and kissed his wife. Every time he felt her lips on his it was like their first kiss all over again. They parted. "That sounds great," he said, still smiling ear to ear. "Just don't get fresh with me during the movie. I'm a huge Steve McQueen fan." Kirsten giggled. "I'll make sure to put it on pause if I can't control myself." Sandy leaned back and put his arm around her, before snapping it back. Kirsten glanced over at the sudden movement. "I left my soda on the counter," said Sandy, "Just a second." He jumped to his feet from the couch and took a brisk, jog like step towards the kitchen before stopping abruptly. "What's wrong?" asked Kirsten, confused, a hint of worry passing through her words. Sandy reached out for the arm of the couch but only caught a piece of it as he fell to his knees and clutched his chest. He strained to breath, his eyes squinted shut as he kept trying to get up. "Sandy?" Kirsten shouted this time, the worry in her voice instantly became panic as the rushed to the floor to help her husband. "Sandy talk to me," she was screaming this time. Sandy opened his eyes slightly and looked at her. Even now, her beauty still entranced him. He felt the words he wanted to say beginning to move to his lips from what felt like deep in his stomach. "Ca...Call...an...am...ambulance," he said, trying frantically to breathe. Kirsten jumped to her feet and rushed to the phone. Her pulse began to quicken. She couldn't believe this was happening. Tears began to well in her eyes as she pressed the buttons on the cordless phone: 9-1-1.

The night breeze swept over the beach, ruffling the banner that hung near the lifeguard station. The bonfire was raging and the mass conversation was only topped by some periodic drunken screams. Ryan stood moved up in the line and poured himself a beer from the keg. As his cup filled he felt a hand pinch his upper arm playfully. He turned to see Marissa.

"Hey," she said, smiling broadly. "Hey," said Ryan. "You sure you're okay being the DD? I mean I don't want to be picking you off your driveway or anything, but it's okay if you want." Marissa gave Ryan a teasing glare at his jab, before softening her stare. "Actually, I'm okay with it," she replied confidently. "Everything just seems to be coming together. I don't really feel like it. I just want to enjoy tonight." Ryan smiled, happy to hear these words. "Good," he said, taking her hand. The sand was cold under their bare feet as they walked over to the lifeguard station where Seth and Summer were sitting on the railing. "Hey buddy," shouted Seth, "I see Marissa's rubbing off on you." He gestured to the cup in Ryan's hand. Ryan walked up beside him and gave Seth a punch to the arm. "Well I guess you still kept some of your natural tendencies," said Seth before rubbing his arm. Her turned to Marissa, "Actually this is good that you're not drinking Marissa, because me and Summer, well we've had quite a few drinks, and I really don't think she can carry me home. "Yeah, right Cohen," said Summer, just slightly louder than normal. "I don't think your little bird arms would be much help either." Seth turned to her. "Don't knock guns woman," he said flexing. "These are thirty two inch pythons right here." The four laughed, each adding their own zinger to counter Seth's statement. Seth's cellphone rang. "It's my mom," he said. "Hello?" he answered the phone as the others stopped talking. "What? Mom, slow down," he said, a wave of concern washing away his smile. "It's your father," said Kirsten on the other end, her voice quivering. "We were about to watch a movie, and he, he just collapsed and he couldn't breathe, so I called 911, and the ambulance just picked him up and I'm about to go to the hospital can you find Ryan and meet me there?" Ryan caught the look on Seth's face, instantly guaging the seriousness of the situation. "Yeah, we'll be there as soon as we can." he said. His hand began to shake as he awkwardly slid the phone into his pocket. The sobriety rushed through him like he had just stepped into a cold shower. "What's wrong?" asked Ryan, afraid of the answer Seth might give. Seth stood there, every moment he ever spent with his father was spinning through his head like a book flipping it's pages, except for every fraction of a second that these moments flashed in Seth's mind, a massive wave of emotion hit him like a baseball bat to the chest. He looked up at Ryan. He felt his voice beginning to swell in his throat, so he coughed. "I think my dad just had a heart attack."

Chapter 8

Marissa parked the car and they all jumped out of the car. Seth jogged alongside Ryan past the emergency sign that reflected off the automatic doors before they parted to let them through. Seth approached the desk. "Excuse me," he said to the nurse at the desk. "I'm here to see Sandy Cohen, can you tell me where he is?" Seth was breathing heavily, partly from the running but mostly from the anxiety of finding his father. "And you are?" asked the nurse. "I'm his son..." said Seth. "Seth," Kirsten's voice came from behind them. She ran up and gave Seth and Ryan a hug. "Your father's okay, the doctor's in there with him now, he just got here five minutes ago." Seth nodded, relieved that the nightmare he imagined on the way to the hospital hadn't been confirmed. "Good," said Seth. "Are you okay?" he asked Kirsten. "I'm doing better," said Kirsten with a reassuring nod. "I was pretty frazzled but I'm just glad he's here." "Can we see him?" asked Ryan. "Not yet," replied Kirsten. "The doctor's still there. When he's done you guys can see him." Seth and Ryan exchanged a glance. Summer put her hand in Seth's. "Come on," she said tugging at his arm lightly. "Let's go sit down." Seth nodded. "This is so not where I thought I'd be tonight when I woke up this morning," he said.

Chapter 9

Seth followed Ryan towards the room where Sandy was staying. The smell of the hospital only adding to the speed at which his head was already spinning. He stopped in front of his father's room and looked through the window. He felt the shock run through his body at the sight of his dad lying there. He looked so weak, so helpless. Seth never thought he would witness something like this so young. Seth thought back to his mother's car accident, and how afraid he had been when he heard the news of her crash. He watched as Sandy gave a weak wave and a smile. Seth returned the wave. This was different, he thought. This time he didn't know how things would turn out. There was no voice telling him his father would be home tomorrow, back on his surf board or at the office. Ryan walked up beside him. "You okay man?" he asked. Seth turned to his best friend and brother. "I really don't know what to say," he said, "which is definitely a first. I just never dreamed I'd see him like this." Ryan nodded, knowing he couldn't possibly relate on the same level as Seth. "Come on," he said finally, "I know he wants to see us."

Seth gave a weak attempt at a smile before slowly nodding. "Yeah," he said, not even trying to finish the thought. Seth opened the door. He gazed at the speckled tile floor, trying to delay the sight of his father in that bed for as long as possible. Seth sauntered in small paces toward the bed. "Boy, my own son won't look at me, I must be in worse shape than I thought." Sandy's voice snapped Seth's attention as he looked up and met his father's eyes. "Hey," he said. "I'd ask how you're feeling but I think the tubes and monitors are answering for you." Sandy smiled weakly. His son always had a way of giving silver lining to the worst situations. "I guess I should have listened to your mother when she said I should switch to low-fat cream cheese huh?" he asked. Seth feigned a laugh, but his sadness and worry was too overpowering. "How long are they keeping you here?" he asked. Sandy looked down at his blanket. "Well, I really don't know," he said. "The doctor did some tests but they haven't come back with them yet. I'm just glad to see you guys." "Yeah," said Seth, "me too I'm glad, you're alright. Just let me know if you need anything." Sandy nodded, and coughed. "You got it," he said. "Don't worry about me, I'll be surfing again in no time." He flashed Seth a smile and stared at his son. "Really," he said. "It's going to be okay." Seth nodded. "Alright well I'll be with mom so, I'll see you later I need a coffee." Seth walked quickly past Ryan and out the door. Ryan watched as Seth walked past the window slowly. Sandy shifted his gaze from Seth to Ryan. "Hey," he said, "take care of him will you?" I think he's taking it pretty hard." "Yeah," said Ryan, "he was just really shocked, we all were." Sandy sighed. "You know, watching you guys today, I was so proud of both of you. A guy couldn't ask for two better kids." Ryan smiled. "We couldn't ask for a better dad," he said putting a hand on Sandy's shoulder. They both smiled. "Alright, well I'm gonna try and sleep, I'm pretty wiped," said Sandy. "Sure," said Ryan. "I hope everything's okay." "Me too kid," said Sandy. "Me too."

Seth and Ryan sat in the waiting room waiting for Summer and Marissa to return with coffee. A television blared in the background, but neither Seth nor Ryan was interested in watching. Kirsten read a magazine as she sat beside Seth. She knew it was hitting Seth hard. She just hoped that the doctor would tell them everything would be okay.

Marissa and Summer returned with coffee and handed cups to Seth, Ryan and Kirsten. "Thanks," they all said. "Don't mention it," said Summer as she sat down beside Marissa. "Mrs. Cohen?" the doctor approached them. "I'm Dr. Wallace." He reached out and Kirsten shook his hand. "Oh, hello Doctor," said Kirsten. "How's Sandy?" she asked anxiously. The other four sat up, listening intently for what the doctor had to say. "Well," he began, "His heart attack was relatively minor, but after doing some tests, we've decided he's going to need double bypass surgery." A worried expression washed over Kirsten's face. "When?" she asked. "Well," said Dr. Wallace, "I'd prefer we get him in there as soon as possible. We'll probably attempt the surgery in a couple of hours. That's when the next operating room is available." Set stared blankly ahead, taking in what the doctor had just said. A double bypass? His father? Seth couldn't believe the night was getting worse. "Now," said the doctor. "It is a risky procedure, anything involving the heart is. Sandy's relatively healthy though, so the risk is probably slightly smaller than that of someone who wasn't in Sandy's condition and in worse physical shape." Kirsten sighed. "Mrs. Cohen," said the doctor. "We just need you to fill out some more paperwork, and since we'd like to do the procedure soon, it would be best if you did those now." Kirsten nodded. "Alright," she said. "I'll be right there." Seth shook his head. "I can't believe this," he said softly before walking out of the room. Ryan, Marissa and Summer watched as he walked quickly down the hall, clearly having trouble dealing with the situation. Summer turned to Ryan and Marissa. "I'll go talk to him," she said. Ryan and Marissa both nodded. "Okay," said Ryan. Summer picked up her purse, and left the room.

Chapter 10

Seth sat alone in the empty hallway. The uninviting white paint seemed appropriate he thought, since he was in the last place he wanted to be. He couldn't get the image of his father in the hospital bed out of his mind. The IV hooked up to him, the monotone beeping of the pulse monitor. It was all so alien to him. He wished he hadn't left so quickly, but he couldn't stand to see him like that. His thoughts were broken by the sound of heels clicking on the tile floors. He looked up to see Summer walking over. "Hey," said Summer sympathetically as she sat down beside him. Seth nodded in return, not really in favour of words. "How you doing?" asked Summer, wanting Seth to respond. "Do I really need to answer that?" Seth finally asked. Summer looked down to the tiles. "I just don't know what to think," said Seth. Summer looked up surprised to hear him speak. "I mean, just today he was sitting there at graduation," said Seth his voice wavering. "I just..." Seth tried to speak but the words rushed to the back of his throat producing only a stifled sob. Tears began trickling down his cheeks. He swallowed. "I'm so scared." Summer felt her own sadness beginning to rise from her stomach and boiling in her mouth. She reached around Seth and pulled him to her. "It's gonna be okay," she said, not knowing how true her own words would turn out to be. Seth buried his head in her shoulder and wept, his sobs echoing throughout the empty hallway.


End file.
